E x e cu t i v e S u m m a ry
Today, the opportunity for education reform in Tennessee
is greater than it has been in the last twenty years and
greater than it will likely be for the next twenty years.
As Tennesseans, we have an obligation to seize this oncein-a-lifetime opportunity.
As many Tennesseans have realized, the world has changed. Gone are
the days when students could drop out of high school and get a good
job on a farm or complete high school and get a good job at the factory.
Traditional blue-collar manufacturing jobs are being outsourced
to countries like China, India, and Mexico and replaced by jobs in
services, healthcare, telecommunications, and high-tech industries
that require a higher level of education and skill. The state’s newest
manufacturers—Volkswagen, Wacker Chemical Plant, and Hemlock
Semiconductor—require a highly skilled workforce. Volkswagen
representatives have repeatedly said the company is adamant about
hiring individuals who possess at least an associate’s degree.1 For
Tennessee’s children to succeed in today’s world and in the future, the
state must develop a world-class education system.
Tennessee has a long way to go in achieving this goal. Today,
Tennessee ranks 41st on national achievement tests, behind all other
Southeastern states except Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. On
these same assessments, 77 percent of Tennessee 8th graders score
below proficient in math and 75 percent score below proficient in
reading.2 Of every 100 Tennessee ninth graders, only 72 will graduate
high school within four years and only 17 will graduate college within
six years of leaving high school.3 As Tennesseans continue to struggle
with the current economic downturn, it is those with less education
who are suffering the most. Since 2006, the unemployment rate rose
by 10 percent for individuals without a high school diploma, whereas
it only rose by 2 percent for individuals with a college degree. In 2008
alone, nearly 28,000 Tennessee students dropped out of high school.
Only 22 percent of Tennesseans over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s
degree.5 These statistics are troubling for our state and even more
troubling for our children.
However, there are at least three pieces of good news. First, we know
where Tennessee needs to be, and we can measure our progress
toward this goal. Workforce projections show that over the next ten
years 63 percent of Tennesseans will need either a two- or four-year
postsecondary degree in order to meet the needs of employers. Today,
only 27 percent of Tennesseans have such a degree. According to
research, the best way to predict whether high school students will
receive a two- or four-year postsecondary degree is by students’ ACT
scores. If students score a 21 or above on the ACT, they are much more
likely to complete a postsecondary degree than if they score below 21.
This means we need 63 percent of our students scoring at least a 21
on the ACT within ten years in order to meet the needs of the state’s
employers. Today, only 48 percent of Tennesseans taking the test are
doing so—we have a long way to go.6
The second good piece of news is that Tennessee is poised to undertake
meaningful education reform that can help the state meet thi ̀